$150 and up, depending on your specific needs and how many laboratory tests are required.

Costs associated with mold are sometimes covered by insurance. You will need to contact your insurance agent for details.

You can have mold even if your house is one day old. Under the right conditions for mold to grow, it can manifest itself within 24 hours or the wood used to construct the home may have already been contaminated with mold.

Texas has laws regulating mold remediation and an assessment is usually required for your protection. It is much better to know what kind of mold you are dealing with, but if you want to remediate it without the testing, you must treat the mold as if it were the most toxic species; all molds have the potential to be a health hazard.

There is no way to be absolutely certain without an assesment and test results from a certified laboratory.

You might be able to, but you must consult an attorney who knows the laws in your state.

A. Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Alternaria which are all all are considered toxic. Stachybotrys, Fusarium, Trichoderma (also considered toxic), produce mycotoxins that are easily absorbed into skin, intestinal lining, airways and lungs. Other toxic molds include Coccidioides, Blastomyces, Histoplasma, and Memnoniella.

Neither one. Fungus is its own kingdom.

Mushrooms are a fungus, like mold; mildew is a colloquial term for mold. Some mushrooms are poisonous to humans. Some are used as psychedelic drugs, some are eaten as a delicacy, and some are used for their healing properties. There is a large variety of mold species as well.